Lost in Wildlife
by Write4PHun
Summary: Olivia and Elliot aren't faring well after the encounter with Bushido and Tybor. They walk on eggshells daily and it's getting old. Who will end the stalemate?
1. Chapter 1

**I own nothing.**

Olivia was sifting through folders on her desk, lost in thought. The same thought. The thought that was consuming her brain every day since it happened.

 _Words came out of her mouth, she sauntered up to Elliot and wrapped herself around his wide warm torso, inhaling his sweaty scent, feeling his heart pounding with a rapidity that matched hers. Adrenaline coursed through her body; she never imagined she'd be close enough to touch Elliot's bare chest, and there she was, gripping him for dear life. She had no time to think. This seemed to be appeasing the thugs in the room, but she couldn't focus on the act. It wasn't much of an act. He was on the bed wearing tight black shorts, and she felt like stripping everything off, forcing him to look at her as a woman and not just a partner. He could barely look at her. He was so wooden, almost repelling her when Tybor told her to leave. The erection she felt was likely from the danger and thrill of almost being caught and killed._

Elliot was in the crib. His marriage was over. The divorce papers were signed and he wasn't contesting anything. Kathy had cheated on him, but he knew that the job, Liv, lots of other things caused the break-up years ago. He couldn't blame Kathy for seeking human companionship, for wanting to feel loved. It was never verbalized but both of them knew he only had feelings of romantic love for Olivia. He thought he had kept himself guarded, unemotional, yet somehow Kathy saw it in his eyes. He didn't want to fight it anymore.

 _Hearing her sultry voice made him almost lose his mind. One glimpse of her as she emerged from the bathroom and he was at attention. Shit. Her arms were pulling him into her breasts. He felt her nipples poke at his chest. Certainly she felt his erection. She must hate him for getting her into this situation. If he'd not been a coward avoiding his wife, she wouldn't have been there at all, but a sick part of him was thankful for this brief, psychotic moment where she was hanging on him in that skimpy bra, so silky soft, it took incredible concentration to look away and focus on the guns drawn on them. He wanted to throw her down on the bed and…_

"El, wake up! We have to get back to that charter school in Harlem. The principal found something that may help our case. Are you with me?"

 _Yes, I'm with you even when I'm not physically with you. You're always in my head, my dreams, every waking thought, yet you may as well be a million miles away._

"Sure, give me a minute I'll meet you at the car."


	2. Chapter 2

El was concentrated on the street. En route to the school in Harlem, they stopped in front of a bodega where shots had been fired. Liv let radioed that they were right there and getting out to investigate.

"Freeze!" Elliot yelled as a man barreled straight for the exit, knocking Olivia to the black gum stained pavement.

Elliot vaulted over Olivia and tackled the suspect, driving a fist into his nose. Just then two squad cars rolled up and began cuffing the perp.

"Liv! You okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" he screamed as he cradled her head in his hands.

"El, I'm fine, let me go," she swatted his hands out of her face and jumped up to prove she was solid.

Why did she fight to escape my proximity? Did I do something wrong? Seemed like a little spark went off between us during the incident. Maybe I misread it. But she's been stealing sideways glances at me, as I have her, and we know why. Dammit. Now she recoils when I try to assess concussion after some scum knocks her down?

Wordlessly, they hopped back in their car heading to the Harlem school. During the interview, Olivia asked the questions as Elliot hung back in stone silence. He wanted to do his job but now his thoughts were in overdrive and nothing could get him off the Olivia track.

"El!? Let's go to the girl's home. Are you listening? Come on!" she ordered while tugging his coat sleeve out the front door of the school and into the car. "I'm driving since you seemed spaced out. Did you hear a word the principal said?"

"Liv, wait, don't turn the car on yet. I have something to say to you, and you're not going to like it, but I'm saying it anyway. I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you for longer than I care to admit. Kathy and I haven't been happy for years, and it's all my fault because I fell in love with you. You've had my heart and I don't know how you feel about me, but please be gentle because I'm feeling low, captain's on my back for a psych eval and I can't, I can't…"

"El, hold it, I'm not ready to hear this. You don't know what you're saying. You've been divorced for like a second and…"

"No, I'm not taking it back, I love you, Olivia Benson. When I walk into the precinct, when YOU walk into the precinct, the rest of the people fade away. I memorized your scent, your gait, the casual way you lean on a table, the beauty of your long legs and since our encounter with those thugs, who were absolutely going to kill me if not for you, I cannot concentrate on anything. You belong with me. We belong together. All those losers you date, nothing will happen. You may not love me, but something's there. We need to go on a real date. I'll accept the outcome, but I won't let you slink away from whatever this is without giving it a fair shot. Now then, do you have anything to add?"

Olivia's heart pounded in her ears. She was trapped. More like frozen. Imprisoned by his confession. Her brain wanted to reply honestly, but her heart armored itself. He was staring at her, and she had to form words.

"El, I don't know what you want me to say. You dump this on me now, and you want an answer? I don't have one. I can't do this now."

"Not now? When? After one of us is shot and lying in a hospital bed? We've both had enough close calls and I can't pretend anymore that it doesn't almost kill me when you are in danger, when you get hurt, and here's another truth bomb, when you saved me you may have been thinking with your head but I was thinking I wanted you, I wanted to throw you down on the bed and, "

"ELLIOT STOP IT! You can't do this it isn't fair. I've had to work with you for years, keeping our time together strictly professional because you have a wife and family. Divorced or not, you have a lot of people depending on you. I don't fit in your life. I, I have thought about an 'us' before, of course I have, but it was fantasy, never to be reality, and we won't …"

Elliot cupped his hands on her face and kissed her, deeply, letting all of his emotions pour into this moment. Olivia felt her emotional damn break and flood through her and she let him kiss her without concern for the growing crowd outside the window.


End file.
